UK Post Office scandal victims still await justiceーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS

Key Concepts

• Horizon System: Faulty accounting software developed by a Fujitsu subsidiary used by Post Office Limited.
• Subpostmasters: Individuals who franchise and operate individual post offices in the UK.
• Shortfalls: Discrepancies between reported cash amounts and those shown in the Horizon system, which were later found to be erroneous.
• Prosecutions: Over 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted for financial crimes based on Horizon system data.
• Exoneration: A law enacted by the UK parliament to clear the names of wrongly accused postal workers.
• Compensation: Financial and mental health support for victims and their families.
• Independent Inquiry: An investigation into the root causes and responsibilities of the scandal.
• Robust Governance Practices: The need for companies to acknowledge and address issues transparently.

The Horizon Scandal: A Miscarriage of Justice

This summary details a significant miscarriage of justice in the UK involving Post Office Limited and its faulty Horizon accounting software, which led to the wrongful prosecution and financial ruin of hundreds of subpostmasters.

Background and Systemic Failures

• Post Office Limited Structure: Post Office Limited, a government-owned company, franchises the operation of individual post offices to subpostmasters.
• Introduction of Horizon: In 1999, Post Office Limited began using the Horizon accounting system, developed by a subsidiary of Japanese IT giant Fujitsu.
• Emergence of Discrepancies: By 1999, Post Office Limited started identifying shortfalls between the amounts reported by subpostmasters and those recorded by the Horizon system.
• Widespread Prosecutions: Between 1999 and 2015, over 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted for financial crimes, with most being convicted. Thousands more were compelled to make payments to Post Office Limited, and many lost their franchises.
• Court Ruling: In 2019, a British court ruled that the Horizon system's faults were the cause of the discrepancies, which were not actual shortfalls.
• Legislative Action: In the year prior to the transcript's recording, the UK parliament passed a law to exonerate the postal workers.

Case Study: Sammy Sabat

• Experience: Sammy Sabat, a subpostmaster in southern England, purchased his third post office in 2005.
• Horizon Shortfalls: Around 2006, the Horizon system began showing cash shortages totaling over $65,000 from his post offices.
• Post Office Limited's Response: Sabat's attempts to defend himself and argue that the money was fictitious were ignored by Post Office Limited. For two years, they maintained that the Horizon system was "robust" and never admitted any fault.
• Prosecution and Sentence: Sabat was prosecuted for fraud, received a suspended sentence in 2009, and ultimately lost his post offices.
• Personal Impact: The stress of the case led to depression and a subsequent heart attack for Sabat.
• Ongoing Fight: Although his conviction was overturned four years prior to the transcript, Sabat continues to seek fair compensation for his losses, stating, "We're just trying to get what we have lost, what we are owed. What happened to all the money that the post office had collected from us? I will not leave it at this because I'm angry."

Impact on Families: The Case of Pamela Church and Rebecca Foot

• Broader Victimhood: The scandal's impact extends beyond the subpostmasters themselves, affecting their families.
• Pamela Church's Experience: Rebecca Foot's mother, Pamela Church, ran a post office where the Horizon system reported cash shortfalls from around 2000.
• Financial Ruin: Pamela Church was forced to make a substantial repayment, leading to the family's bankruptcy.
• Rebecca's Childhood: At 13, Rebecca had to work in a restaurant and help care for her siblings, as her parents had no money. She states, "I knew that I couldn't ask my parents for money because there was no money. So from a very young age, I knew that if I wanted something, I had to work for it. I was not having any weekends. I didn't have time to study about us."
• Advocacy for Families: Rebecca organized a group seeking government aid for victim families, including financial assistance and mental healthcare. Her ideal outcome is that "everything that we talk about and that we want out of the scheme happens."

Compensation and Support for Victims

• Current Payouts: Approximately $1.7 billion USD has been paid out to around 9,600 victims.
• Uncompensated Claimants: A quarter of the total claimants have yet to receive fair compensation.
• Expert Opinion: A legal expert and chair of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board emphasizes the need for comprehensive support, stating, "They do need money for compensating harm and for ongoing support for life. Um but they also need mental care, psychological care. I hope that UK government will um establish a response which is favorable for the victims."

Root Causes and Fujitsu's Role

• Scale of the Scandal: NHK London Bureau Chief Yamada Hioki attributes the scandal's magnitude to Post Office Limited's prolonged acknowledgment of the accounting system's problems.
• Independent Inquiry Findings: A British independent inquiry reported in July that some employees at the Fujitsu subsidiary had discovered the system's potential for erroneous data prior to its rollout.
• Condemnation of Post Office Limited: The inquiry also criticized Post Office Limited for maintaining "the fiction that the computer data was always accurate."
• Future Inquiry Reports: The inquiry plans to release an updated report detailing the root cause and identifying those responsible.
• Fujitsu's Response:
  • In October, Fujitsu, Post Office Limited, and the UK government issued a joint statement to initiate dialogue with victims and offer mental health support, funded by the Fujitsu subsidiary.
  • Fujitsu has also begun discussions with the UK government regarding contributions to the victim compensation fund, though details on timing and extent are undisclosed.

Lessons Learned and Unresolved Issues

• Societal Lessons: The scandal offers crucial lessons on compensating wrongly accused individuals and the importance of robust governance practices for companies to own up to their issues.
• Ongoing Resolution: For many victims, the matter remains unresolved, highlighting the continued need for comprehensive justice and support.